Army Hammer says he was sexually assaulted by a young pastor at 13, who was considered suicidal after rape allegations

 The actor speaks, two years after being accused of sexually and emotionally abusing several women

Two years after suffering a series of sexual assault allegations that ended his career as a movie star, Armie Hammer is trying to tell his side of the story. In a new interview, he revealed that he considered suicide after his fall and claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a young pastor at age 13. Hammer — who was the subject of an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department after being accused of rape — denies any criminal wrongdoing,

but admits to being emotionally abusive toward the ex-partners he met online.

The actor, who has been accused of owning cannibals, now says his interest in BDSM stems from being sexually assaulted by a young pastor when he was 13 years old. "What it did for me was that it introduced sexuality into my life in a way that was completely beyond my control," Hammer says. "I was helpless in the situation. I had no agency in this situation. My sexuality was presented in a scary way as I had no control. Then my interests went to: I want to control the situation, sexually." Speaking with the digital newsletter Air Mail, Hammer tells his side of the story for the first time. Air Mail reported that Hammer told two people about his childhood abuse, and the post states that he confirmed his account with his godmother.

Hammer was charged in 2021 with sexual assault and inappropriate behavior by several women, whose allegations escalated on social media and put the representative of the "social network" in the middle of a media storm. In the wake of the scandal, Hammer was dropped by his agency, WME, and fired from a slew of projects, including Jennifer Lopez's "Shotgun Wedding." For the past two years, the actor has worked as a timeshare vendor in the Cayman Islands and spent time at a redemption facility. Last year, the Discovery+ series, "House of Hammer," marked the fall of Hummer with a few of his accusers appearing on camera.

Hammer reveals that he was contemplating suicide while his life was collapsing. "I just went out into the ocean and swam as much as I could and hope to sink, or be hit by a boat, or eat a shark," Hammer told Air Mail, recalling time in the Cayman Islands. "Then I realized that my children were still on the beach, and that I couldn't do that to my children." Hammer had been married to TV host Elizabeth Chambers for 10 years, and they announced their separation before the allegations against Hammer surfaced. The couple shares two small children.In his new interview, Hammer goes into great detail discussing some of the accusations against him, undermining the nature of the allegations, and painting a very different picture of what his accusers have presented. The most incriminating claim against Hammer was made by a woman, known as Evie, who accused him of violently raping her, leading to an LAPD investigation. Evie is behind the House of Evie's Instagram account, which first posted horrific allegations against Hammer, and garnered widespread attention in early 2021. Hammer comments on his relationships with defendants Courteney Foskovic and Paige Lorenzi, admitting that "power dynamics were stalled" and admitting "a million percent" that he was emotionally abusive towards both women."I had these younger women in their mid-twenties, and I'm in my thirties. I was a successful actor at the time. They could have been happy to be with me and they would have said yes to things they probably wouldn't have agreed to on their own," Hammer says. In the interview, Hammer denied any criminal wrongdoing, summed up his conduct and subsequent accusations of being an "idiot." "I'm here to take my mistakes, to take responsibility for the fact that I was an idiot, that I was selfish, that I used people to make me feel better, and when I finished, I moved on," Hammer says."I am now healthier, happier and more balanced.I'm able to be there for my kids in a way I've never been... I am truly grateful for my life, my recovery and everything. I'm not going to go back and back down from everything that happened to me."

The "Call Me by Your Name" actor says he has improved through his recovery, and now serves as a sober companion for an addicted colleague recovering from rehabilitation."I'm going to move with him and live with him, get him into a healthy routine, get him into a good schedule of [recovery] meetings, take him tothe gym, and cook him healthy food," says Hammer. "I feel like my recovery has shifted from me to being the one who needs help staying alert, to be able to help others." Hammer also confirms previous reports that he found a friend in Robert Downey Jr., who supported him during his fall and rehabilitation. (Vanity Fair previously reported that the Iron Man actor paid for his treatment and offered him additional financial assistance and accommodation to help him get back on his feet.

"There are examples everywhere, Robert [Downey Jr.] as one of them, of people who have gone through these things and found salvation through a new path. And that, I feel, is what's missing in this culture of cancellation, the waking mob work," Hammer says. The moment a person makes a mistake, it is thrown away. There is no chance of rehabilitation." He continues, "When they throw someone like me on fire to protect themselves... All they do is make the fire bigger. And this fire is now out of control and will burn everyone."

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